IN THE days of ancient Rome (which Mr Brocklebank can barely remember), Caesars used gladiatorial combat and circuses as a diversion and distraction to keep the mobilis vulgaris at bay.
And perhaps so it was last weekend, when around half a million people turned up in Liverpool to be distracted by the Sea Odyssey spectacle.
Certainly council leader Cllr Joe Anderson looked positively emperor-like as he surveyed his domain from the balcony of the Town Hall.
While Cllr Anderson’s speech went down well with the masses gathered before him, the same clarity was sadly lacking in other quarters.
As Mr B stood and watched the Little Girl Giant and her Uncle parade through the streets, there was a cacophony coming from the loudhaler on one of the machines, presumably intended to be the narration of the story.
A gentleman stood nearby said to his wife over the din, “It’s all in French. I can’t understand what the hell’s going on.
“You’d think with all the money they’ve spent they could have shelled out for a translator!”
THERE was much disappointment in certain quarters at the distinct lack of media coverage of the Sea Odyssey outside of Liverpool, but it seems that’s not the only ‘snub’ the city has had to endure lately.
For, considering that Liverpool is pioneering the brave new world of elected mayors, it must be galling to note that, in a speech last week about the virtues of directly elected city leaders, David Cameron managed not to mention Liverpool once.
